OK, sorry, rape is not a minor crime. Poor choice of words, but I was considering crimes which involve killing as more serious.
As for prisoners being charged for their own support, it can and is being done in most places. The law requires that any prisoner choosing to or being required to work get paid a stipend. I think it ranges from 40 cents to $1.00 an hour. Most prisoners voluntarily do work in the prison to obtain spending money, which is placed in an account for them and used to buy ‘luxury’ things with, like candy, snacks, smokes – (I don’t know about that anymore) – and some magazines.
I do know that, locally, prisoners in the jail are charged $50 a month for their support, though most do not have the opportunity to work it off. After being let loose, they are required to pay this accumulated amount back, as much as a prisoner is often required to pay a fine.
In the past, programs where prisoners were required to work, in general, were quite productive. Of course, there were abuses of this program by corrupt officials and sadistic guards. Currently there are several prisons where they grow their own vegetables and have dramatically cut down on State expense for the support of the prison, plus prisoners who worked daily were discovered to be less disruptive and violent when back in the cell blocks.
A current chain gang being used in one of the other States for roadwork is much different from the old fashioned form and many of the prisoners are not at all happy with it. Most, when interviewed, wanted to be back in the prison going to classes and things – which they claimed would help them on the outside. They virtually demanded this, which, to me, seemed to indicate that they felt justified in not only doing the crime that got them where they were because of their inadequacies, but felt that the prison SHOULD provide them with an easier alternative.
Granted, many repeat offenders do not think like a normal person, but that is no reason why we need to keep paying for their upkeep. So, make them work. A previous poster stated that once a prisoner got beyond the age of 35, he tended to settle down, which is correct. This has been observed in most cases. Still, if they do the crime, let the work off some of the cost.
The days of Alcatraz are over, in that we now have newer, more sophisticated prisons, like Wapole (from which no one has ever escaped) electronically run. It also has been observed that in most cases, prisoners forced to work, if they commit a crime after being released, have petitioned NOT to go back to the prison they had to work at. So, if one makes all prisons places where one has to work, the criminals might think two or three times before committing a crime again. PLUS, if a prison is earning money, then those funds can be used to increase the pay of the guards, which will draw in not only a better form of guard but provide money for even more of them.
I’m a reasonably normal person. I would hate to be jailed. I would even hate to have to do Community Service – wearing those vests that tell the world you did wrong. I would be humiliated. Criminals do not feel that way about things, so they cannot be treated like normal people. I have known some real nice crooks! Really cool people who have hearts of gold, but they think nothing of stealing a car, breaking into a house, dealing a little dope or shop lifting. None of the ones I’ve met are even smart enough to bank or invest their ill gotten gain in an effort to not have to steal again.
To many criminals, they like stealing for a living and hate having regular jobs. Many are so filled with hate that they are of the opinion that they have the RIGHTto take what they want from others.
These criminals need to be forced to work. They need to be taught through not just work but education that such an attitude is not acceptable. A crook can be worked either 8 to 10 hours a day and still have time to attend classes afterwards. Or they can be worked every other day and attend classes on days they don’t work.
There are acceptable compromises.
